


Don't Let Go

by meridian_rose (meridianrose)



Category: Sleepy Hollow (TV)
Genre: 100 tales, Character in peril, Family Relationships - Freeform, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-28
Updated: 2014-01-28
Packaged: 2018-01-10 09:05:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,043
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1157784
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/meridianrose/pseuds/meridian_rose
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ichabod won't let go – Abbie would never forgive him if he let her sister fall to her death. Jenny isn't so sure Abbie would care.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Don't Let Go

**Author's Note:**

> I've currently seen up to 1.9 and fully expect this has been jossed already. First Sleepy Hollow fic, concrit welcome. Beta'd by the amazing dorothydeath, any remaining errors are my responsibility.  
> For the 100 tales prompt "caring"

They should have been more careful. Captain Irving should have been with them, but that last minute phone call had pulled him away. Ichabod should have known the floorboards were unsafe. Jenny might have watched her step more closely.

The house – if it could still be called that, so decrepit in places that whole rooms were laid open to the elements, while the walls of others slumped so that Ichabod had to duck under slanted doorways – was old and had been built upon an old mine. Their latest brush with the supernatural had suggested it was also the most likely hiding place for a mystical key that they needed to find as soon as possible.

They'd split up to search the property more quickly, the lieutenant to the left wing (or what remained of it), Jenny to the right, and Ichabod to the central area which seemed to comprise two reception chambers and a dining room. The kitchen was inaccessible, the roof having fully caved in, and there was no way even he was going to attempt to climb the ruin of the staircase without better equipment. He was certain that Abbie, or Irving, could supply some modern wonder that would make it easier and safer to explore what was left of the upper storey if it was necessary.

He'd quickly investigated his assigned rooms and had gone to find Jenny – why Jenny, and not Abbie? He couldn't say, but he was glad he had, for just as he'd entered the room – a study, perhaps, a desk by the window, an empty bookcase on one wall – the floor underneath Jenny collapsed.

"Miss Mills!" Ichabod dashed over. A silly thing to do, of course. He was in as much danger as she was of the fragile surface giving way before he even reached her. He wasn't intending to be heroic. It was just his usual reckless bravery at seeing someone in danger. Providence was with him, for he reached her without incident, though, not even a creak or groan from the treacherous floor as he knelt down.

Jenny was hanging on desperately to the jagged edge of the parquet tiles. Ichabod grabbed at her wrists and made to pull her but she yelped and shook her head. He ceased his movements instantly.

"I'm stuck."

Ichabod glanced down. The gaping hole beneath her was so deep he couldn't see the bottom. Jenny's belt was caught on a piece of rusted metal. She wouldn't be easily freed but if she fell, it probably wouldn't hold her weight. The thought of her dropping to her doom was horrifying.

"I can reach down," she said. "If I can't pull free, I could maybe undo my belt."

"No!" Ichabod hadn't meant to yell but he was terrified. Strong as he was, he wasn't sure he could hold Jenny up by just one of her arms, not without hurting her, or worse dropping her, especially if she started jiggling about to try and free herself. "Wait. I'll call Miss Mills." The other Miss Mills.

"Lieutenant!" His voice echoed in the empty space. "Abigail!"

Jenny was breathing hard, partially with exertion, partly with fear, but her eyes showed only a defiant bravery that reminded Ichabod of Abbie and made him feel a rush of affection for this young woman.

"I won't let go," Ichabod said. "Abigail would never forgive me." It was meant to a joke to lighten the moment but modern American humour was not really his forte and so he wasn't too disappointed when Jenny grimaced.

"She'd get over it."

"She would miss you dearly," he argued.

"Yeah, she sure missed me all those years while I was incarcerated."

The sisters had a rather difficult relationship, he had to admit. "Nonetheless, she cares about you. I know this for a fact. She's sorry for not believing you sooner. Furthermore, I give you my word that she would very much feel your loss."

That got a breathless laugh. "Your word. Then I have to believe you. You're a true gentleman."

"Indeed I am." He glanced over his shoulder and bellowed, "Abigail!" He turned back to Jenny. "You know I would not forgive myself, either. So I beg of you, while I can feel your muscles are getting tired beneath my necessarily tight but unfortunately painful grip, _do not let go_."

Abbie finally came into the room, dust on her uniform and a strand of cobweb clinging to her hair. She opened her mouth to speak, then ran over to join them. "Jenny!"

"We need to hold her steady so she can free herself," Ichabod informed her.

"I can reach. You just hold her," Abbie said. Ichabod didn't get chance to argue. She lay down on the floor, inching forward until she could reach down towards the belt. He desperately wanted to hold onto her too, but there was no way he could possibly support both of them.

"Just a little…a little more…" Abbie fumbled down beneath the hole. "Lift her a bit higher, Crane."

He flashed Jenny an apologetic look and tugged. She stifled a cry of pain, but then Abbie said, "Got it!" and Jenny was free and almost light in his arms. He rapidly pulled her toward him and then all three of them were in a heap on the floor, and Abbie had her arms around Jenny, clutching at her with tears in her eyes.

Ichabod sat back on his heels and brushed a strand of hair back from his face, relieved and pleased as he watched their reunion. Abbie let go of Jenny and threw herself at him, and he briefly folded his arms around her in response.

"Thank you," Abbie said into his shoulder. "Thank you. Thank you."

"My pleasure," he said gallantly. Abbie stood, giving him a smile, fully in control of her emotions once more. Jenny, now standing and looking none the worse for her ordeal, nodded to him.

"I'm not the hugging type," she said, but when he got to his feet, she shook his hand warmly and he gave her a bow.

Abigail patted her pocket. "I've got the key. Now let's go, before this whole damn place falls down." Ichabod and Jenny did not need to be told twice.


End file.
